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Then two men came into her bedroom and Casey's accomplice demanded gold and jewellery which she told them she didn't have because she had been robbed before.

The accomplice was searching for possessions whilst Casey stood at the door armed with a crowbar so the victim couldn't escape.

He also guarded the entry to the room as the other party searched the house. When the woman tried to use her mobile phone to call police it was smashed, along with the home phone, so she couldn't call for help, Chelmsford Crown Court heard on Thursday, April 26.

Laureen Husain, prosecuting, said: "Needless to say she was scared and very frightened those males had entered her bedroom armed with weapons, one can only imagine the horror."

Mother's baby left in the car as home was burgled

Then on December 13, the defendant, along with two male accomplices, robbed a woman at a house on Hook End Lane, Hook End.

A mother arrived home at around 11am with her two-year-old baby in the car. She saw men walk out from her back garden who removed her from her vehicle and forced her into her own home through the back door.

They had been there for some time as they had discovered a safe in her husband's office and tried to open it with an axe which was found in the loft.

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She was wearing a jumper and the men pulled the hood over her face whilst they questioned her what the code to the safe was.

The victim repeatedly told them the code was in a notebook in the kitchen and when they retrieved it and she entered the code it didn't work.

A burglar breaking into a house via a window with a crowbar (Image: BrianAJackson)

One of the robbers became angry and told her she was lying and told the defendant, who was holding a household cleaning spray bottle, to "spray her in the face".

After gaining access to the safe the three men took £3,500 and the family passports and when they were leaving one of the accomplices told the victim: "Don't call the police, I know where you live, I'll come back."

He then told Casey to spray "everything here" in the room which he did and the bottle was found by the police later.

After the men left the defendant came back and left the passports on the sofa.

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The victim rushed outside to her baby in the car and called her husband. At this point she was inconsolable and he phoned the police. She and her family have now left their jobs, home and the country in fear.

Ms Husain told the court: "The defendant was arrested on January 23, 2018 and it was a 'no comment' interview.

"In the victim impact statement, she was so terrified about what had happened she no longer lives at that address, in fact, she has left the country.

"She suffers from stress and anxiety."

The barrister then said that the event had left the victim with a severe sense of depression.

He "lost control" after finding out his wife had a miscarriage

Michael Warren, mitigating for Casey, told the court: "His wife had a miscarriage, who is in court today, she had a miscarriage in September and October and didn't tell him about that."

He then said that the defendant pleaded guilty to both offences, although he initially denied involvement with the aggravated burglary charge.

He added: "With what was going on with his life, which at no stage excuses for what happened.

"He married his wife four years ago it's their fourth wedding anniversary today, he has spent his life travelling between Ireland and Essex and they are living in Brentwood.

"When he was in his younger years he spent most of his time as a champion boxer, but after he broke his ankle that stopped that activity."

Casey married his wife when he was 18 and made a living in the tarmac industry. He and his wife now have a three-year-old daughter.

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Recent court stories

Mr Warren continued: "His wife was pregnant with their second child and it was going to be a boy and he wanted to have a boy and he loves his daughter."

The court heard his wife didn't tell him about the loss of their baby as he was excited for their first son and when Casey found out he "loses control".

Mr Warren added: "He is upset that his wife hasn't told him about this.

"She described how he lost control and you have a young man who hadn't been involved in the criminal justice system prior."

Casey's counsel said he was a very religious individual who was very remorseful.

He also explained: "How it came to be, he picked up with a gang and committed those offences to make a few quid."

Mr Warren said Casey believed he would be earning money and did not know the crimes were going to be committed.

Judge: "She was terrified and feared for her life"

Judges sentencing remarks

Judge Samantha Leigh told the defendant during her sentencing remarks: "The first victim lives in fear that the men will return and complete the threats made out to her. That day the damage to her life is unable to have a price.

"I don't need a victim impact statement to know how scared she was."

Speaking of the second offence, she said: "It was clear you had been in those premises for sometime that an axe had been found, taken from the loft inside the house. It's not an understatement, she was terrified and feared for her life.

"She suffered physical injuries but the mental ones, of course, remain with her.

"As a result of this offence not only has she left her home but this country. Forensics attended the scene and your DNA was found and you were related to it.

"These are awful and violent offences committed in people's homes where they should feel safe."

Casey had his face in his hands as the judge spoke to him and when he left court he told his wife he loved her.

Judge Leigh sentenced Casey to 80 months in prison for aggravated burglary and 88 months for robbery to run consecutively. He will serve 14 years in prison in total.

He will serve at least half of that sentence and remainder on licence. If he commits another crime he will be recalled back to prison to serve the rest of his sentence as well as any other sentence he might receive.

The judge accepted both crimes were committed as part of a joint enterprise.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Sergeant David Wilkinson of Brentwood CID said: “These were violent and frightening incidents that left the victims very shaken. No-one should feel unsafe in their own home.

“Casey has now been taken off the streets for a significant amount of time and I hope this will give the victims some comfort.”

The other suspects involved in both incidents have not yet been identified, with officers still on the hunt for information.

Anyone with information is asked to call Brentwood CID on 101. Alternatively, contact the Crimestoppers charity 100 per cent anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use the anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org.